Control device for injection molding machine and control method for injection molding machine

ABSTRACT

A control device of an injection molding machine, for controlling operations of multiple elements operating during the period of mold closing or mold opening, includes: an operation starting condition setting unit for, concerning at least part of the elements, setting an operation starting condition of one of the elements that operates in conjunction with another one thereof by an operator operating an operation unit; a group setting unit for classifying the elements based on the operation starting conditions so that elements operating in conjunction with each other belong to the same group; an operation sequence setting unit for setting order of the operations of the elements belonging to the same group based on the operation starting conditions; and a drive command generator for generating drive commands for driving the injection molding machine so as to cause the elements belonging to the same group to operate in the set order.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-204403 filed on Oct. 23, 2017, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a control device and a control method for an injection molding machine, configured to issue commands for operation or actuation of multiple elements which operate at the time of mold opening and closing thereof.

Description of the Related Art

Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-036976 discloses a core operation setting device which enables the operator to set the order of commands for starting an operation for inserting a core into the mold, checking whether the core is inserted into the mold, and ending the operation for inserting the core into the mold.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

When a plurality of elements are actuated when the mold is closed or opened, it is necessary to actuate each element in an appropriate order in order to prevent damage to the mold or other failures. In the technology of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-036976, it is necessary to set the operations of cores, one by one, in order to operate the machine in the appropriate order regarding the plural cores. However, this technology may increase the number of steps for performing the core operation setup task.

The present invention has been devised to solve the above problem, and it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a control device and a control method for an injection molding machine, which allow an operator to easily set the operations of a plurality of elements which are actuated during the period of closing or opening the mold.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a control device of an injection molding machine, for controlling operations of multiple elements that operate during the period of mold closing of a mold or during the period of mold opening of the mold in an injection molding machine, includes: an operation starting condition setting unit configured to, for at least part of the multiple elements, set an operation starting condition of one element of the elements that operates in conjunction with another element of the elements, by an operator operating an operation unit; a group setting unit configured to make settings so as to classify the multiple elements based on the set operation starting conditions of the elements so that elements that operate in conjunction with each other belong to the same group; an operation sequence setting unit configured to set the order of the operations of the elements belonging to the same group based on the set operation starting conditions of the elements; and a drive command generator configured to generate drive commands for driving the injection molding machine so as to cause the elements belonging to the same group to operate in the set order while causing an element belonging to another group to operate independently from the elements belonging to the same group.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a control method for an injection molding machine, of issuing commands for operations of multiple elements that operate during the period of mold closing of a mold or during the period of mold opening of the mold in an injection molding machine, includes: an operation starting condition setting step of, for at least part of the multiple elements, setting an operation starting condition of one element of the elements that operates in conjunction with another element of the elements by an operator operating an operation unit; a group setting step of making settings so as to classify the multiple elements based on the set operation starting conditions of the elements so that elements that operate in conjunction with each other belong to the same group; an operation sequence setting step of setting order of the operations of the elements belonging to the same group based on the set operation starting conditions of the elements; and a drive command generating step of generating drive commands for driving the injection molding machine so as to cause the elements belonging to the same group to operate in the set order while causing an element belonging to another group to operate independently from the elements belonging to the same group.

According to the present invention, it is possible to easily set the operations of a plurality of elements that are operated during the period of mold closing or mold opening.

The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an injection molding machine and a control device for controlling the injection molding machine;

FIG. 2A is a diagram showing a core setting operation setup screen displayed on a display unit;

FIG. 2B is a diagram showing a core setting operation confirmation screen displayed on the display unit;

FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a core pulling operation setup screen displayed on a display unit;

FIG. 3B is a diagram showing a core pulling operation confirmation screen displayed on the display unit;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an operation flow of mold closing and core setting in accordance with drive commands generated by a drive command generator;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an operation flow of mold opening and core pulling in accordance with drive commands generated by a drive command generator;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a control flow of setting up core setting operations performed in a control device;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a control flow of setting up core setting operations performed in a control device;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing interlocking data;

FIG. 9A is a diagram showing a setting operation setup screen displayed on a display unit;

FIG. 9B is a diagram showing a setting operation confirmation screen displayed on a display unit;

FIG. 9C is a diagram showing a pulling operation confirmation screen displayed on a display unit; and

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a control flow of mold opening and core pulling operations in accordance with drive commands generated by a drive command generator.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First Embodiment [Configuration of Injection Molding Machine]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an injection molding machine 10 and a control device 12 for controlling the injection molding machine 10. The injection molding machine 10 has a screw rotation motor 14, an injection motor 16, a mold opening/closing motor 18, an ejector motor 20, a core operation actuator 22, and a peripheral device communication unit 24.

The screw rotation motor 14 is a motor for driving the screw of an injection mechanism in a rotating direction. The injection motor 16 is a motor for driving the screw in the axial direction. As the screw rotates, resin material is moved inside a cylinder toward a nozzle. While back pressure is applied to the screw by the injection motor 16, the screw is rotated by the screw rotation motor 14 to thereby perform a metering operation of supplying a predetermined amount of resin to the front end of the cylinder. Then, the screw is moved toward the nozzle by the injection motor 16 so as to perform an injecting operation of injecting the resin material in the cylinder from the nozzle into the mold. After the mold is filled with the resin material, the screw is kept pressed toward the nozzle by operation of the injection motor 16, thereby performing a pressure holding operation to apply pressure to the resin material until the gate is hardened.

The mold opening/closing motor 18 is a motor for driving a movable platen of a mold clamping mechanism relative to a stationary platen. That is, the movable platen is moved toward the stationary platen by the mold opening/closing motor 18 to thereby close the mold, whereas the movable platen is moved away from the stationary platen to thereby open the mold.

The ejector motor 20 is a motor for driving an ejector pin provided in the movable platen. The ejector pin is driven by the ejector motor 20 to perform an ejector operation for removing the molded article or product from the moving mold half provided on the movable platen. The core operation actuator 22 is a hydraulic cylinder or the like, and is an actuator for performing a core setting operation to set a core to the mold and a core pulling operation to retract the core from the mold.

The peripheral device communication unit 24 communicates with peripheral devices such as a molding unloading device 26 and a vacuum evacuation device 28. The peripheral device communication unit 24 performs a signal output operation of outputting communication signals to the control device 12. The control device 12 transfers communication signals output from the peripheral device communication unit 24 to the molding unloading device 26 and the vacuum evacuation device 28. Further, the control device 12 transfers communication signals output from the molding unloading device 26 and the vacuum evacuation device 28 to the peripheral device communication unit 24. The peripheral device communication unit 24 performs a signal input operation for inputting communication signals sent from the control device 12.

The molding unloading device 26 is a device for performing an unloading operation to unload or take out the molding from the injection molding machine 10. When the mold opening is completed, the injection molding machine 10 transmits a communication signal requesting an unloading operation from the peripheral device communication unit 24 to the control device 12. The communication signal requesting an unloading operation is transferred from the control device 12 to the molding unloading device 26. Upon receiving the communication signal requesting an unloading operation, the molding unloading device 26 starts an unloading operation of the molded product. As the unloading operation of the molding is completed, the molding unloading device 26 transmits a communication signal notifying the completion of the unloading operation to the control device 12. The communication signal notifying the completion of the unloading operation is forwarded from the control device 12 to the peripheral device communication unit 24.

The vacuum evacuation device 28 is a device for performing a vacuum evacuating operation to evacuate the interior of the mold. When the mold closing is completed, the injection molding machine 10 transmits a communication signal requesting a vacuum evacuating operation from the peripheral device communication unit 24 to the control device 12. The communication signal requesting a vacuum evacuating operation is transferred from the control device 12 to the vacuum evacuation device 28. Upon receiving the communication signal requesting the vacuum evacuating operation, the vacuum evacuation device 28 opens a valve between a vacuum tank and the mold and starts the vacuum evacuating operation.

As the valve between the vacuum tank and the mold is completely opened, the vacuum evacuation device 28 transmits to the control device 12 a communication signal notifying the completion of opening of the valve. The communication signal notifying completion of opening of the valve is forwarded from the control device 12 to the peripheral device communication unit 24.

[Configuration of Control Device]

The control device 12 includes an operation unit 30, a display unit 32, an operation starting condition setting unit 34, a group setting unit 36, an operation sequence setting unit 38, a displaying order setting unit 40, a drive command generator 42, a display control unit 44, a communication transfer unit 46. The control device 12 forms a display device 48.

FIG. 2A is a diagram showing a setup screen 50 for the operator to set conditions for starting core setting operations (hereinafter referred to as a setting operation setup screen 50) displayed on the display unit 32. FIG. 2B is a diagram showing a confirmation screen 52 for confirming the core setting operations (hereinafter referred to as a setting operation confirmation screen 52) displayed on the display unit 32. FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a setup screen 54 for the operator to designate conditions for starting core pulling operations (hereinafter referred to as a pulling operation setup screen 54) displayed on the display unit 32. FIG. 3B is a diagram showing a confirmation screen 56 for confirming the core pulling operations (hereinafter referred to as a pulling operation confirmation screen 56) displayed on the display unit 32.

The operation unit 30 includes a touch panel, a keyboard, a mouse, and the like, and is operating by the operator to thereby input information to the control device 12. The display unit 32 is a liquid crystal display or the like, and displays characters, symbols, drawings and others.

In the control device 12 of the present embodiment, the operator operates the operation unit 30 to designate or set the starting conditions for setting operations and pulling operations for four cores 1 to 4, on the setting operation setup screen 50 and the pulling operation setup screen 54 displayed on the display unit 32, respectively.

The operation starting condition setting unit 34 sets the starting conditions of core setting operations or core pulling operations, in accordance with the operator's input through the operation unit 30. The group setting unit 36, based on the starting conditions set in the operation starting condition setting unit 34, makes settings so as to classify the multiple cores so that cores that operate in conjunction with each other belong to the same group.

The operation sequence setting unit 38, based on the set starting conditions of the core's operations, sets the order of the operations of the cores belonging to the same group. The displaying order setting unit 40 sets the order of displaying multiple fields F each showing a different group on the display unit 32. The display control unit 44 controls the display unit 32 to display the setting operation setup screen 50, the setting operation confirmation screen 52, the pulling operation setup screen 54, the pulling operation confirmation screen 56, and the like.

The drive command generator 42 generates drive commands for driving the screw rotation motor 14, the injection motor 16, the mold opening/closing motor 18, the ejector motor 20 and the core operation actuator 22 of the injection molding machine 10.

The communication transfer unit 46 transfers communication signals sent from the injection molding machine 10 to the molding unloading device 26 and the vacuum evacuation device 28. Further, the communication transfer unit 46 transfers the communication signals sent from the molding unloading device 26 and the vacuum evacuation device 28 to the injection molding machine 10.

[Setting Operation Setup Screen]

In the present embodiment, on the setting operation setup screen 50 shown in FIG. 2A, the starting conditions for the setting operations of four cores 1 to 4 are set. Further, on the pulling operation setup screen 54 shown in FIG. 3A, the starting conditions for the pulling operations of the four cores 1 to 4 are set.

The setting operation setup screen 50 is composed of setting operation starting condition selecting sections 58A to 58D and option setting sections 60A to 60D. The operator operates the operation unit 30 to thereby select one of “mold closing start”, “during mold closing”, “continuation”, and “parallel” for each of the setting operation starting condition selecting sections 58A to 58D, whereby the starting conditions of the setting operations for cores 1 to 4 are set.

When “mold closing start” is selected, a core setting operation is started at the same time as the mold starts to be closed. When “during mold closing” is selected, the associated one of option setting sections 60A to 60D is displayed. The operator may enter an arbitrary position of the movable mold into the associated one of the option setting sections 60A to 60D. When “during mold closing” is selected, the movable mold is moved to the position entered into the associated option setting section 60A-60D in the course of closing the mold and the mold closing operation of the mold is stopped, then the core setting operation is started. In FIG. 2A, since “during mold closing” is not selected in the setting operation starting condition selecting sections 58A, 58C and 58D, the option setting sections 60A, 60C and 60D are not displayed.

The operator can select one of “continuation 1”, “continuation 2”, “continuation 3” and “continuation 4” for “continuation”. For example, when “continuation 2” is selected in the setting operation starting condition selecting section 58C, the setting operation of the core 3 is started when the setting operation of the core 2 is completed.

For the “parallel”, the operator can select one of “parallel 1”, “parallel 2”, “parallel 3” and “parallel 4”. For example, when “parallel 3” is selected in the setting operation starting condition selecting section 58D, the setting operation of the core 4 is started when the setting operation of the core 3 is started.

The pulling operation setup screen 54 is composed of core pulling operation starting condition selecting sections 61A to 61D and option setting sections 62A to 62D. The operator operates the operation unit 30 to thereby select one of “mold opening start”, “during mold opening”, “after ejector”, “continuation” and “parallel” for each of the pulling operation starting condition selecting sections 61A to 61D, whereby the starting conditions of the pulling operations for cores 1 to 4 are set.

When “mold opening start” is selected, a core pulling operation is started at the same time as the mold starts to be opened. When “during mold opening” is selected, the associated one of option setting sections 62A to 62D is displayed. The operator can enter an arbitrary position of the movable mold into the associated one of the option setting sections 62A to 62D. When the “during mold opening” is selected, the movable mold is moved to the position entered into the associated option setting section 62A-62D in the course of opening the mold and the mold opening operation of the mold is stopped, then the core pulling operation is started. FIG. 3A shows a state where none of the option setting sections 62A to 62D are displayed since the “during mold opening” is not selected in any of the pulling operation starting condition selecting sections 61A to 61D. When “after ejector” is selected, the core pulling operation is started after the ejector operation is completed.

The operator can select one of “continuation 1”, “continuation 2”, “continuation 3” and “continuation 4” for “continuation”. For example, when “continuation 3” is selected in the pulling operation starting condition selecting section 61B, the pulling operation of the core 2 is started when the pulling operation of the core 3 is completed.

The operator can select one of “parallel 1”, “parallel 2”, “parallel 3” and “parallel 4” for “parallel”. For example, when “parallel 3” is selected in the pulling operation starting condition selecting section 61D, the pulling operation of the core 4 is started when the pulling operation of the core 3 is started.

[Setting Operation Confirmation Screen]

When the starting conditions of the core setting operations are set as shown in FIG. 2A, the setting operation confirmation screen 52 is displayed on the display unit 32 as shown in FIG. 2B. In the present embodiment, the group setting unit 36 makes settings so as to classify the cores 1 to 4 so that cores that operate in conjunction with each other belong to the same group. When the starting conditions of the core setting operations are set as in FIG. 2A, the cores 2, 3 and 4 operate in conjunction with each other, whereas the core 1 operates independently from the other cores. In this case, the group setting unit 36 sets the cores 2, 3 and 4 so as to belong to one group 1, and also sets the core 1 so as to belong to another group 2.

On the setting operation confirmation screen 52, as shown in FIG. 2B, a first field FA for the group 1 and a second field FB for the group 2 are shown. In the first field FA, a second symbol SB, a third symbol SC, and a fourth symbol SD respectively indicating operations of the core 2, the core 3 and the core 4 belonging to the group 1 are displayed. In the second field FB, a first symbol SA indicating the operation of the core 1 belonging to the group 2 is displayed. Since the symbols S indicating the operations of cores are displayed on the group fields F, the operator can easily distinguish the cores that operate in conjunction with each other and the core that operates independently.

The operation sequence setting unit 38 sets the order of the setting operations of the cores 2, 3 and 4 belonging to the group 1, in accordance with the conditions for starting the setting operations of the cores 2, 3 and 4. Then, the second symbol SB, the third symbol SC and the fourth symbol SD are displayed in the first field FA according to the thus set order in such a manner as to clarify or visualize the time-sequential relationship.

When the starting conditions of the setting operations are set as shown in FIG. 2A, the core 1 set to “mold closing start” and the core 2 set to “during mold closing” each are a core that is first operated among the cores belonging to each group. In the following, the core that is first operated among the group may be referred to as a leading core. The second symbol SB indicating the operation of the core 2, which is the leading core of the group 1, is displayed in the first field FA, while the first symbol SA indicating the operation of the core 1, which is the leading core of the group 2, is displayed in the second field FB. Then the third symbol SC indicating the operation of the core 3 set to “continuation 2” is displayed on the right side of the second symbol SB. Furthermore, the fourth symbol SD indicating the operation of the core 4 set to “parallel 3” is displayed under the third symbol SC. Also, lines are displayed in the first field FA to connect between the second symbol SB, the third symbol SC and the fourth symbol SD. In FIG. 2B, the passing of time is set from left to right.

Thus, by displaying the symbols S indicating operations of cores in the set time-sequential order in each group field F, it becomes easy for the operator to grasp the order of operations of the cores that operate in conjunction with each other.

The order of displaying the first field FA and the second field FB is set by the displaying order setting unit 40. That is, the displaying order setting unit 40 sets the displaying order of displaying the first field FA and the second field FB, taking into account the starting condition of the setting operation of the core 2 which is the leading core of the group 1 and the starting condition of the setting operation of the core 1 which is the leading core of the group 2.

In FIG. 2A, since the starting condition of the setting operation of the core 1 is set to “mold closing start” and the starting condition of the setting operation of the core 2 is set to “mold closing”, the setting operation of the core 1 is started earlier than the setting operation of core 2. In this case, the second field FB is displayed on the left side and the first field FA is displayed on the right side. Further, the second field FB is illustrated as a rectangular shape while the first field FA is illustrated as a pentagon having a triangular protrusion on the right side. Thus, by displaying the group fields F so as to clarify or visualize the time-sequential relationship according to the set order, the operator can roughly grasp the start timing of the core setting operations of the cores belonging to each group. Further, since the first field FA is illustrated as a pentagon having a triangular protrusion on the right side, it is possible to indicate the direction of passing of time, that is, the passing of time is set from left to right in FIG. 2B. It should be noted that the direction of passage of time is not necessarily indicated by the shape of the first field FA but may be indicated using an arrow or the like.

[Pulling Operation Confirmation Screen]

When the starting conditions of the core pulling operations are set as shown in FIG. 3A, the pulling operation confirmation screen 56 is displayed on the display unit 32 as shown in FIG. 3B. The display method of the pulling operation confirmation screen 56 is substantially the same as the display method of the setting operation confirmation screen 52. In the following, the pulling operation confirmation screen 56 will be described focusing on differences from the setting operation confirmation screen 52.

In the present embodiment, the group setting unit 36 makes settings so as to classify the cores 1 to 4 so that cores that operate in conjunction with each other belong to the same group. When the starting conditions of the core pulling operations are set as shown in FIG. 3A, the cores 2, 3 and 4 operate in conjunction with each other, whereas the core 1 operates independently from the other cores. In this case, the group setting unit 36 sets the cores 2, 3 and 4 so as to belong to one group 3, and sets the core 1 so as to belong to another group 4.

On the pulling operation confirmation screen 56, as shown in FIG. 3B, a third field FC for the group 3 and a fourth field FD for the group 4 are shown. In the third field FC, a second symbol SB, a third symbol SC, and a fourth symbol SD respectively indicating operations of the core 2, the core 3 and the core 4 belonging to the group 3 are displayed. In the fourth field FD, a first symbol SA indicating the operation of the core 1 belonging to the group 4 is displayed. It is noted that, since the starting condition of the pulling operation of the core 1 is set to “after ejector”, a fifth symbol SE indicating the ejector operation is displayed in FIG. 3B. In this manner, a symbol S indicating an operation of an element other than cores may be displayed.

The operation sequence setting unit 38 sets the order of the pulling operations of the cores 2, 3 and 4 belonging to the group 3, in accordance with the conditions for starting the pulling operations of the cores 2, 3 and 4. Then, the second symbol SB, the third symbol SC and the fourth symbol SD are displayed in the third field FC according to the thus set order in such a manner as to clarify or visualize the time-sequential relationship. Also, lines are displayed in the third field FC to connect between the second symbol SB, the third symbol SC and the fourth symbol SD.

The operation sequence setting unit 38 sets the order of the pulling operation of the core 1 and the ejector operation, in accordance with the starting condition of the pulling operation of the core 1 belonging to the group 4. Then, the first symbol SA and the fifth symbol SE are displayed in the fourth field FD according to the set order in such a manner as to clarify the time-sequential relationship. Also, a line connecting between the first symbol SA and the fifth symbol SE is displayed in the fourth field FD. In FIG. 3B, the passing of time is set from left to right.

The order of displaying the third field FC and the fourth field FD is set by the displaying order setting unit 40. That is, the displaying order setting unit 40 sets the displaying order of displaying the third field FC and the fourth field areas FD, based on the starting condition of the pulling operation of the core 3 which is the leading core of the group 3 and the starting condition of the pulling operation of the core 1 which is the leading core of the group 4.

In FIG. 3A, since the starting condition of the pulling operation of the core 3 is set to “mold opening start” and the starting condition of the pulling operation of the core 1 is set to “after ejector”, the pulling operation of the core 3 is started earlier than the pulling operation of the core 1. In this case, the third field FC is displayed on the right side of the fourth field FD. Further, the third field FC is illustrated as a rectangular shape while the fourth field FD is illustrated as a pentagon having a triangular protrusion on the left side. Thus, this illustration makes it possible to indicate the direction of passing of time, that is, time passing from left to right in FIG. 3B. It should be noted that the direction of passage of time is not necessarily indicated by the shape of the fourth field FD but may be indicated using an arrow or the like.

[Drive Command Generation]

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a control flow of mold closing and core setting operations based on drive commands generated by the drive command generator 42. FIG. 4 shows an example of the case that the starting conditions of core setting operations are set as shown in FIG. 2A.

When the mold closing operation of the mold is started, the setting operation of the core 1 is started. Since the setting operation of the core 1 is independent of the operations of the other elements, the setting operation of the core 1 is started at an arbitrary time after start of the mold closing operation, and the setting operation of the core 1 is completed before the mold closing operation is completed.

As the mold reaches the position of 150 mm, the mold closing operation is stopped and the setting operation of the core 2 is started. When the setting operation of the core 2 is completed, the setting operation of the core 3 is started. When the setting operation of the core 3 starts, the setting operation of the core 4 is also started. When the setting operations of the core 3 and core 4 are completed, the mold closing operation is restarted, so that the mold closing operation is completed.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a control flow of mold opening and core pulling operations based on drive commands generated by the drive command generator 42. FIG. 5 shows an example of the case that the starting conditions of core pulling operations are set as shown in FIG. 3A.

When the mold opening operation is started, the core pulling operation of the core 3 is started. When the core pulling operation of the core 3 starts, the core pulling operation of the core 4 is also started. When the core pulling operation of the core 3 is completed, the core pulling operation of the core 2 is started. The pulling operation of the core 2 is completed before the mold opening operation is completed. When the ejector operation is completed, the pulling operation of the core 1 is started. The pulling operation of the core 1 is completed before the mold opening operation is completed.

The operator selects the starting condition in the setting operation starting condition selecting sections 58A to 58D and the pulling operation starting condition selecting sections 61A to 61D to thereby set the starting condition for the operation of one element (a dependent element or a slave element) (second element) that operates in conjunction with the operation of another element (a subject element or a master element) (first element). For example, in the setting operation starting condition selecting section 58C of FIG. 2A, the operator sets the starting condition for the setting operation of the core 3 (a dependent core or a slave core) (second core) that operates in conjunction with the setting operation of the core 2 (a subject core or a master core) (first core).

The drive command generator 42 sets the start timing and the starting order for core operations, based on the starting conditions of the operation of one core (a dependent core or a slave core) (second core) that operates in conjunction with the operation of another core (a subject core or a master core) (first core), and generates drive commands for driving respective elements. In other words, without the need for the operator to specify the start timing and the number in the starting order one by one for each core operation, simply by setting the starting condition of the operation of one core (a dependent core or a slave core) (second core) that operates in conjunction with the operation of another core (a subject core or a master core) (first core), the drive command generator 42 sets the start timing and the starting order of the operation of each core.

[Core Operation Setting Process]

FIGS. 6 and 7 are flowcharts showing a control sequence of setting up core setting operations performed in the control device 12. The following description illustrates a control sequence of core setting operations. The sequence of core pulling operations can also be set similarly.

At step S1, the operation starting condition setting unit 34 sets the starting condition of the setting operation of each core based on the contents selected by the operator in the setting operation starting condition selecting sections 58A to 58D on the setting operation setup screen 50. Then, the control proceeds to step S2.

At step S2, the operation starting condition setting unit 34 creates interlocking data 64. The control then proceeds to step S3. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the interlocking data 64. The group setting unit 36 analyzes the starting condition of each core setting operation and creates the interlocking data 64. The interlocking data 64 includes information on whether or not a core (subject core) is the leader of the group and information on another core interlocking (operated in conjunction) with the core. The information on the other core interlocking with the core may include information on another core whose setting operation is started before the start of the setting operation of the subject core, information on another core whose setting operation is started at the same time with that of the subject core, and information on another core whose setting operation is started after completion of the setting operation of the subject core.

At step S3, the group setting unit 36, based on the interlocking data 64, makes setting so as to classify the cores so that cores that operate in conjunction with each other belong to the same group. Then, the control proceeds to step S4. At step S4, the operation sequence setting unit 38 sets the order of the setting operations of the cores belonging to the same group based on the interlocking data 64, and the control proceeds to step S5.

At step S5, the drive command generator 42 generates drive commands for driving the core operation actuator 22, and the control proceeds to step S6. For the cores belonging to the same group, the drive command generator 42 generates drive commands so that each setting operation can be started in accordance with the order set by the operation sequence setting unit 38. For the cores belonging to different groups, the drive command generator 42 generates drive commands so that the setting operations can be started independently.

At step S6, the displaying order setting unit 40 sets the order in which fields F showing the set groups are displayed on the setting operation confirmation screen 52, and the control proceeds to step S7. The displaying order setting unit 40 sets the order of displaying the fields F on the setting operation confirmation screen 52, based on the starting condition of the setting operation of the leading core among the cores belonging to each group.

At step S7, the core 1 is selected in the display control unit 44, and the control proceeds to step S8. At step S8, it is determined whether or not the selected core is the leading core in the group. If the selected core is the leading core of the group, the control proceeds to step S9, and if the selected core is not the leading one of the group, the control proceeds to step S13.

At step S9, the display control unit 44 controls the display unit 32 so as to display the field F indicating the group to which the selected core belongs, on the setting operation confirmation screen 52, and the control proceeds to step S10. At step S10, the display control unit 44 controls the display unit 32 so as to display a symbol S indicating the operation of the selected core in the displayed field F, and the control proceeds to step S11.

At step S11, the display control unit 44 determines whether or not there is a core operated in conjunction with the selected core, based on the interlocking data 64. If there is a core operated in conjunction with the selected core, the control proceeds to step S12, and if there is no core interlocking with the selected core, the control proceeds to step S13.

At step S12, the display control unit 44 controls the display unit 32 to display a symbol S indicating the operation of the core interlocking with the selected core, in the field F indicating the group to which the selected core belongs, and the control is returned to step S11.

At step S13, the display control unit 44 determines whether or not the symbol S indicating a core operation has been already displayed on the setting operation confirmation screen 52 for all the cores. When the symbol S indicating a core operation has been already displayed for all the cores, the control is terminated. If there is a core for which the symbol S indicating the core operation has not yet been displayed, the control proceeds to step S14. At step S14, a next core is selected, and the control is returned to step S8.

[Operation Effect]

In a case where multiple cores are set in the mold, in order to avoid causing damage to the mold, interlocking conditions, such as a condition that the setting operation of the core 3 must be performed after completion of the setting operation of the core 2, are imposed. Conventionally, there has been a system in which the order of core operations is set by arranging the operations of multiple cores in a time-sequential order, but it has been a tedious and cumbersome work for the operator to set up the multiple core operations while considering such interlocking conditions. Besides, when the operator tries to modify the settings of core setting operations, it is necessary to change the core operations one by one while taking the interlocking conditions into consideration, which results in an increase in workload.

To deal with this, in the present embodiment, the group setting unit 36 is used to classify the multiple cores so that cores that operate in conjunction with each other belong to the same group, based on the set starting condition of each core setting operation. Then, the operation sequence setting unit 38 sets the order of the operations of the cores in the same group, based on the set starting conditions of the core operations. Further, the drive command generator 42 is configured to generate drive commands so as to actuate the cores belonging to the same group in accordance with the set order, and generate drive commands so as to actuate cores belonging to another group independently.

Owing thereto, the operator only has to set the starting condition of the operation of each core which operates in conjunction with the operation of another core, with consideration for the interlocking conditions, and the start timing and the starting order of individual core operations are set by the drive command generator 42. Therefore, the operator can easily set the order of core operations.

Second Embodiment

In the first embodiment, the operator sets the starting conditions of core setting operations and the starting conditions of core pulling operations, separately. In the second embodiment, the operator sets only the starting conditions of core setting operations, and the order of the core pulling operations is set up as the reverse order of the core setting operations.

FIG. 9A is a diagram showing a setting operation setup screen 50 displayed on the display unit 32. FIG. 9B is a diagram showing a setting operation confirmation screen 52 displayed on the display unit 32. FIG. 9C is a diagram showing a pulling operation confirmation screen 56 displayed on the display unit 32.

The setting operation setup screen 50 (FIG. 9A) of the present embodiment has a reverse order selecting section 66 added to the setting operation setup screen 50 (FIG. 2A) of the first embodiment. The operator can select “ON” or “OFF” in the reverse order selecting section 66 by operating the operation unit 30.

When “ON” is selected in the reverse order selecting section 66, the setting operation confirmation screen 52 shown in FIG. 9B is displayed on the display unit 32 in the same manner as in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the pulling operation confirmation screen 56 shown in FIG. 9C is further displayed on the display unit 32. On the pulling operation confirmation screen 56, the fields F indicating different groups and the symbols S indicating core operations are displayed in reverse order of the sequential order shown in the setting operation confirmation screen 52.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a control flow of mold opening and core pulling operations based on drive commands generated by the drive command generator 42. When “ON” is selected in the reverse order selecting section 66, the control flow of mold closing and core setting operations based on the drive commands generated by the drive command generator 42 is similar to that in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4. When “ON” is selected in the reverse order selecting section 66, the control flow of mold opening and core pulling operations based on the drive commands generated by the drive command generator 42 is implemented in reverse order of FIG. 4, as shown in FIG. 10.

It should be noted that the reverse order selecting section 66 may be provided on the pulling operation setup screen 54 so as to display the setting operation confirmation screen 52 and generate drive commands of core setting operations, based on the starting conditions of core pulling operations set through the pulling operation setup screen 54.

[Operation and Effect]

In the present embodiment, when the starting conditions of core setting operations are set on the setting operation setup screen 50, the order of core pulling operations is reversed with respect to the order of the core setting operations. As a result, the operator can set the order of pulling operations merely by setting the starting conditions of the core setting operations on the setting operation setup screen 50.

[Modifications]

In the first embodiment, the starting condition of the setting operation of a core (a dependent core or a slave core) that operates in conjunction with the setting operation of another core (a subject core or a master core) is set on the setting operation setup screen 50. Similarly, the starting condition of the pulling operation of a core (a dependent core) that operates in conjunction with the pulling operation of another core (a subject core) is set on the pulling operation setup screen 54.

The setting operation or the core pulling operation of the subject core may be replaced by any one of a mold closing operation for closing the mold, a mold opening operation for opening the mold, an ejector operation for ejecting the molded article from the mold, an unloading operation for taking out the molded article from the injection molding machine 10, and a signal output operation for outputting a communication signal from the injection molding machine 10 to the control device 12.

The setting operation or the pulling operation of the dependent core may be replaced by any one of a mold closing operation for closing the mold, a mold opening operation for opening the mold, an ejector operation for ejecting the molded article from the mold, a cycle start operation which is the first operation to be performed in a molding cycle of the injection molding machine 10, an injecting operation of injecting the resin into the mold, a pressure holding operation of applying pressure to the resin material until the gate is hardened after filling the mold with the resin material, a metering operation for measuring the amount of resin material to fill the mold, and a signal input operation for inputting a communication signal from the control device 12 to the injection molding machine 10. Note that the cycle start operation is usually a mold closing operation, but may be another operation such as placing a sheet in the mold.

[Technical Concepts Obtained From Embodiment]

Technical concepts that can be grasped from the above embodiment will be described below.

The control device (12) of the injection molding machine (10), for controlling operations of multiple elements that operate during the period of mold closing or during the period of mold opening in the injection molding machine (10), includes: the operation starting condition setting unit (34) configured to, for at least part of the multiple elements, set the operation starting condition of a dependent element (a second element or a slave element) of the elements that operates in conjunction with a subject element (a first element or a master element) of the elements, by the operator operating the operation unit (30); the group setting unit (36) configured to make settings so as to classify the multiple elements based on the set operation starting conditions of the elements so that elements that operate in conjunction with each other belong to the same group; the operation sequence setting unit (38) configured to set the order of the operations of the elements belonging to the same group based on the set operation starting conditions of the elements; and the drive command generator (42) configured to generate drive commands for driving the injection molding machine (10) so as to cause the elements belonging to the same group to operate in the set order while causing an element belonging to another group to operate independently from the elements belonging to the same group. Thereby, the operator can easily set the order of operations of the elements.

In the above control device (12) of the injection molding machine (10), the operation of the first element may be one of an operation of a mold core, a mold closing. operation, a mold opening operation, an ejector operation, a molded article unloading operation, and a signal output operation for outputting a signal from the injection molding machine (10) to a peripheral device (26, 28) of the injection molding machine (10). Thereby, the operator can easily set the order of operations of the elements.

In the above control device (12) of the injection molding machine (10), the operation of the second element may be one of an operation of a mold core, a mold closing operation, a mold opening operation, an ejector operation, a molding cycle starting operation, an injecting operation, a pressure holding operation, a metering operation, and a signal input operation for inputting a signal from a peripheral device (26, 28) of the injection molding machine (10) to the injection molding machine (10). Thereby, the operator can easily set the operation order of the elements.

In the above control device (12) of the injection molding machine (10), for at least part of the multiple elements, the operation starting condition setting unit (34) may be configured to set the operation starting condition of the second element that operates in conjunction with the first element while the operation of the first element may be a setting operation of setting a first core into the mold, and the operation of the second element is a setting operation of setting a second core into the mold, or the operation of the first element is a pulling operation of retracting a first core from the mold, and the operation of the second element is a pulling operation of retracting a second core from the mold. Thereby, the operator can easily set the order of operations of the cores.

In the above control device (12) of the injection molding machine (10), when the operation starting condition of the second core that operates in conjunction with the setting operation of the first core has been set, the operation sequence setting unit (38) may set the order of the pulling operation of the first core and the pulling operation of the second core so as to be performed in reverse order of that in which the setting operation of the first core and the setting operation of the second core are performed. As a result, the operator can set the order of the pulling operations of the cores simply by setting the starting conditions of the core setting operations or the starting conditions of the core pulling operations.

A control method for the injection molding machine (10), of issuing commands for the operations of a plurality of elements that operate during the period of mold closing or during the period of mold opening in an injection molding machine (10), includes: an operation starting condition setting step of, for at least part of the multiple elements, setting the operation starting condition of a dependent element (a second element or a slave element) of the elements that operates in conjunction with a subject element (a first element or a master element) of the elements by an operator operating an operation unit (30); a group setting step of making settings so as to classify the multiple elements based on the set operation starting conditions of the elements so that elements that operate in conjunction with each other belong to the same group; an operation sequence setting step of setting the order of the operations of the elements belonging to the same group based on the set operation starting conditions of the elements; and a drive command generating step of generating drive commands for driving the injection molding machine (10) so as to cause the elements belonging to the same group to operate in the set order while causing an element belonging to another group to operate independently from the elements belonging to the same group. Thereby, the operator can easily set the order of operations of the cores. Thereby, the operator can easily set the order of operations of the elements.

In the above control method for the injection molding machine (10), the operation of the first element may be one of an operation of a mold core, a mold closing operation, a mold opening operation, an ejector operation, a molded article unloading operation, and a signal output operation for outputting a signal from the injection molding machine (10) to a peripheral device (26, 28) of the injection molding machine (10). Thereby, the operator can easily set the order of operations of the elements.

In the above control method for the injection molding machine (10), the operation of the second element may be one of an operation of a mold core, a mold closing operation, a mold opening operation, an ejector operation, a molding cycle starting operation, an injecting operation, a pressure holding operation, a metering operation, and a signal input operation for inputting a signal from a peripheral device (26, 28) of the injection molding machine (10) to the injection molding machine (10). Thereby, the operator can easily set the operation order of the elements.

In the above control method for the injection molding machine (10), for at least part of the multiple elements, the operation starting condition setting step may set the operation starting condition of the second one of the elements that operates in conjunction with the first one of the elements, and the operation of the first element may be a setting operation of setting a first core into the mold, and the operation of the second element is a setting operation of setting a second core into the mold, or the operation of the first element is a pulling operation of retracting a first core from the mold, and the operation of the second element is a pulling operation of retracting a second core from the mold. Thereby, the operator can easily set the order of operations of the cores.

In the above control method for the injection molding machine (10), when the operation starting condition of the second core that operates in conjunction with the setting operation of the first core has been set, the operation sequence setting step may set the order of the pulling operation of the first core and the pulling operation of the second core so as to be performed in reverse order of that in which the setting operation of the first core and the setting operation of the second core are performed. As a result, the operator can set the order of the pulling operations of the cores simply by setting the starting conditions of the core setting operations or the starting conditions of the core pulling operations.

The present invention is not particularly limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the essence and gist of the present invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A control device of an injection molding machine, for controlling operations of multiple elements that operate during a period of mold closing of a mold or during a period of mold opening of the mold in an injection molding machine, the control device comprising: an operation starting condition setting unit configured to, for at least part of the multiple elements, set an operation starting condition of one element of the elements that operates in conjunction with another element of the elements, by an operator operating an operation unit, wherein the other element is referred to as a first element, and the one element is referred to as a second element; a group setting unit configured to make settings so as to classify the multiple elements based on the set operation starting conditions of the elements so that elements that operate in conjunction with each other belong to a same group; an operation sequence setting unit configured to set order of the operations of the elements belonging to the same group, based on the set operation starting conditions of the elements; and a drive command generator configured to generate drive commands for driving the injection molding machine so as to cause the elements belonging to the same group to operate in the set order while causing an element belonging to another group to operate independently from the elements belonging to the same group.
 2. The control device of the injection molding machine according to claim 1, wherein the operation of the first element is one of an operation of a mold core, a mold closing operation, a mold opening operation, an ejector operation, a molded article unloading operation, and a signal output operation for outputting a signal from the injection molding machine to a peripheral device of the injection molding machine.
 3. The control device of the injection molding machine according to claim 1, wherein the operation of the second element is one of an operation of a mold core, a mold closing operation, a mold opening operation, an ejector operation, a molding cycle starting operation, an injecting operation, a pressure holding operation, a metering operation, and a signal input operation for inputting a signal from a peripheral device of the injection molding machine to the injection molding machine.
 4. The control device of the injection molding machine according to claim 1, wherein: for at least part of the multiple elements, the operation starting condition setting unit is configured to set the operation starting condition of the second element that operates in conjunction with the first element; and the operation of the first element is a setting operation of setting a first core into the mold, and the operation of the second element is a setting operation of setting a second core into the mold, or the operation of the first element is a pulling operation of retracting a first core from the mold, and the operation of the second element is a pulling operation of retracting a second core from the mold.
 5. The control device of the injection molding machine according to claim 4, wherein, when the operation starting condition of the second core that operates in conjunction with the setting operation of the first core has been set, the operation sequence setting unit is configured to set order of the pulling operation of the first core and the pulling operation of the second core so as to be performed in reverse order of that in which the setting operation of the first core and the setting operation of the second core are performed.
 6. A control method for an injection molding machine, of issuing commands for operations of multiple elements that operate during a period of mold closing of a mold or during a period of mold opening of the mold in an injection molding machine, the control method comprising: an operation starting condition setting step of, for at least part of the multiple elements, setting an operation starting condition of one element of the elements that operates in conjunction with another element of the elements by an operator operating an operation unit, wherein the other element is referred to as a first element, and the one element is referred to as a second element; a group setting step of making settings so as to classify the multiple elements based on the set operation starting conditions of the elements so that elements that operate in conjunction with each other belong to a same group; an operation sequence setting step of setting order of the operations of the elements belonging to the same group based on the set operation starting conditions of the elements; and a drive command generating step of generating drive commands for driving the injection molding machine so as to cause the elements belonging to the same group to operate in the set order while causing an element belonging to another group to operate independently from the elements belonging to the same group.
 7. The control method for the injection molding machine according to claim 6, wherein the operation of the first element is one of an operation of a mold core, a mold closing operation, a mold opening operation, an ejector operation, a molded article unloading operation, and a signal output operation for outputting a signal from the injection molding machine to a peripheral device of the injection molding machine.
 8. The control method for the injection molding machine according to claim 6, wherein the operation of the second element is one of an operation of a mold core, a mold closing operation, a mold opening operation, an ejector operation, a molding cycle starting operation, an injecting operation, a pressure holding operation, a metering operation, and a signal input operation for inputting a signal from a peripheral device of the injection molding machine to the injection molding machine.
 9. The control method for the injection molding machine according to claim 6, wherein for at least part of the multiple elements, the operation starting condition setting step sets the operation starting condition of the second element that operates in conjunction with the first element; and the operation of the first element is a setting operation of setting a first core into the mold, and the operation of the second element is a setting operation of setting a second core into the mold, or the operation of the first element is a pulling operation of retracting a first core from the mold, and the operation of the second element is a pulling operation of retracting a second core from the mold.
 10. The control method for the injection molding machine according to claim 9, wherein when the operation starting condition of the second core that operates in conjunction with the setting operation of the first core has been set, the operation sequence setting step sets order of the pulling operation of the first core and the pulling operation of the second core so as to be performed in reverse order of that in which the setting operation of the first core and the setting operation of the second core are performed. 